Any ideas on how to push my cupcakes?

[winger1]

Hi all! My name is Holli and I baked a ton of cupcakes, all from scracth this weekend and took them to some deli's, restaurants, local businesses (hoping they would use them for a future party) and a few offices nearby. Any ideas on what places I should be targeting or other ways that would help to sell them?

Thanks so much, in advance for all your input; as it will be much appreciated!

 

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[rocksolid]

do you own a business or are you just baking cupcakes. Tell us more about what you are doing. Do you have a company? Website? I see an ad for Groupon next to your question. Must be a sign from the all mighty, Groupon is a great way to do business.

 

[Nicola]

If you are going to sell any food then you need to check with your local authority to make sure that your kitchen meets health codes. You will also need to make sure that you are able to operate a business from your home and check on any labeling regulations.

You will also need to make sure you have appropriate liability insurance.

I'm afraid the whole food and catering business is a lot more complicated than just baking up a few batches of cakes.

Sorry to be a wet blanket.

 

[phlgirl]

In Philadelphia, we have a lady who sells cupcakes from an old FedEx truck, throughout the city. She 'tweets' about her daily location so people know where/when to find her mobile operation.

She has gotten some great press and seems to be making a decent income.

Buttercream - Welcome to buttercream!

 

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[winger1]

Yes, I am just an at home baker. I love to bake and I enjoy it. Unfortunately, no, I have been inspected nor licensed. :nonod:

I love the fedex truck idea! Thanks so much for all the input...even the wet blanket, aka reality check!

 

[kwerner]

If you're wanting to create a business / earn money from this, you should definitely check out the book "the e myth", the story pretty much parallels what you're talking about. And it's a great business book to boot.

 

[BigEasy25]

not sure where you live or if they have any professional sports teams that people go crazy for but here in New Orleans I'm pretty sure a black and gold cupcake with a fleur de lis would sell like "hot cakes"! Something to think about.

 

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[EdwardWhite]

Forget the fedex truck. Sell em out of the back of a van(crappier the better, maybe a few flames on it). Make the customers thinking they are looting something good...

 

[JayKim]

Heres someone doing it with grilled cheese sandwiches.


NYC's underground grilled cheese | Marketplace From American Public Media

"An entrepreneur named "Ronnie" in New York City's Lower East Side has found an intriguing way to do business: hungry customers get his number from a friend or a friend's friend, text him for a grilled cheese sandwich, and voila -- melted cheddar on Rye bread 15 minutes later. Brendan Francis Newnam gave it a try."

 

[winger1]

Going to Amazon soon to check out the E-Myth. Thanks!

 

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[winger1]

not sure where you live or if they have any professional sports teams that people go crazy for but here in New Orleans I'm pretty sure a black and gold cupcake with a fleur de lis would sell like "hot cakes"! Something to think about.

This is great! I am in Tarheel/Duke country....and right now is the time for those!

 

[winger1]

Heres someone doing it with grilled cheese sandwiches.


NYC's underground grilled cheese | Marketplace From American Public Media

"An entrepreneur named "Ronnie" in New York City's Lower East Side has found an intriguing way to do business: hungry customers get his number from a friend or a friend's friend, text him for a grilled cheese sandwich, and voila -- melted cheddar on Rye bread 15 minutes later. Brendan Francis Newnam gave it a try."

I love this idea! Kids are so smart nowadays.

 

[winger1]

Here is a pic. I definitely need to work on making them all the same size but that will come with practice. They tasted way better than they looked!


Oh well. Can't get the pic up.

 

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[JEdwards]

Selling cupcakes is tough, but here is a thought off the top of my head.

4 steps.

1. Name you company charity cakes
2. Hook up with a half decent well know LOCAL charity
3. Start a phone room
4. become a delivery driver

Now start in zip codes, have your phone room people call BUSINESSES in a few zip codes a day. (so you do not send your drivers all around town)

Here is the pitch, Hi I am calling on behalf of Bob's kids Charity, and right now we are trying to raise some money for a research project, and I am wondering if we could deliver out to your office some of the most delicious cupcakes you have ever tasted. They come in a dozen, how many dozen can I bring out. and if they buy 5 dozen, you will throw in something for free. Its for the kids. (this script is a work in progress)

Whats the cost of a cup cake? 10 cents to make, sell them for 1.00 a cupcake. 12 bucks for a dozen.

Give the charity 20%, telemarketer 25% driver 25% (if you do not deliver them yourself), you might have a 10% cost, you make 20 points + if you deliver, But now you are selling a ton. and leaving your 4- color card on how you can send these out on holidays, etc.


Now how to fastlane it, get other people in other markets deliver them for you, have your telemarketing crew start calling for them, charge 35% fee to do that.. charity gets 20% you get 35%, 10% to make, franchise gets 35%.

But you can literally have 100's of these guys in the U.S.

Your cost, a nice big phone room.

100 franchises delivering 32 dozen a day each. $384 gross, 134 bucks to you, would equal 13,440 a day, times 21 days a month, 282,000 gross, the room at most would cost 100k a month, bam you are making 180k a month, while your business is donating 180k a month to charity. Win win for everyone.

Take out ads in craigslist, own your own charity cupcake business, we do all the marketing, making (need to figure that out) you just deliver and collect the money. (for the peeps you cannot convince to buy off the website.


Best part is you are building a national brand, and loyal repeat customers, that when you make that 2nd call it will be easier to sell, than the first. the third call will be like clock work.

Of course this idea might not work, I have not really thought it through enough. good luck.

 

[winger1]

Selling cupcakes is tough, but here is a thought off the top of my head.

4 steps.

1. Name you company charity cakes
2. Hook up with a half decent well know LOCAL charity
3. Start a phone room
4. become a delivery driver

Now start in zip codes, have your phone room people call BUSINESSES in a few zip codes a day. (so you do not send your drivers all around town)

Here is the pitch, Hi I am calling on behalf of Bob's kids Charity, and right now we are trying to raise some money for a research project, and I am wondering if we could deliver out to your office some of the most delicious cupcakes you have ever tasted. They come in a dozen, how many dozen can I bring out. and if they buy 5 dozen, you will throw in something for free. Its for the kids. (this script is a work in progress)

Whats the cost of a cup cake? 10 cents to make, sell them for 1.00 a cupcake. 12 bucks for a dozen.

Give the charity 20%, telemarketer 25% driver 25% (if you do not deliver them yourself), you might have a 10% cost, you make 20 points + if you deliver, But now you are selling a ton. and leaving your 4- color card on how you can send these out on holidays, etc.


Now how to fastlane it, get other people in other markets deliver them for you, have your telemarketing crew start calling for them, charge 35% fee to do that.. charity gets 20% you get 35%, 10% to make, franchise gets 35%.

But you can literally have 100's of these guys in the U.S.

Your cost, a nice big phone room.

100 franchises delivering 32 dozen a day each. $384 gross, 134 bucks to you, would equal 13,440 a day, times 21 days a month, 282,000 gross, the room at most would cost 100k a month, bam you are making 180k a month, while your business is donating 180k a month to charity. Win win for everyone.

Take out ads in craigslist, own your own charity cupcake business, we do all the marketing, making (need to figure that out) you just deliver and collect the money. (for the peeps you cannot convince to buy off the website.


Best part is you are building a national brand, and loyal repeat customers, that when you make that 2nd call it will be easier to sell, than the first. the third call will be like clock work.

Of course this idea might not work, I have not really thought it through enough. good luck.

Um..wow.

Thank you very much.

 

[theBiz]

Jack how will one franchise sell 384 cupcakes per day? If you sold 12 cupcakes to each business you would need 32 businesses per day to buy. You know sales and are experienced so i will not argue if you think salesmen can get them to buy like you say 5 dozen at a time or so.


What types of businesses will she be calling? Large offices are difficult to get in touch with someone, and small businesses have a few employees and they will probably buy a few if not anything.

Even if the initial script works, wouldn't the whole charity thing wear off later? Do you believer these companies would call back often to buy cupcakes?

One thing i would suggest is have healthy cupcakes available too, i wont eat unhealthy anymore, and i know healthy ice cream places are blowing up now because most people are becoming health conscience.

Jack not challenging your tactics it just seems the sales would really have to be able to push these things in order to cover those numbers. Man if sales could push products this easy wed all be rich. But your avatar tells me you could probably sell cupcakes all day! haha

 

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[JEdwards]

It's for charity, and if you worded it right, and hooked up to the right place, it might be a tax write off, so Yes I believe a 3-5 dozen sale could be the norm. Which would take 6 -10 places roughly to reach 32 dozen a day.

It is all in the pitch.

Do I think they would reorder by calling, no.. and would you want them to, No, because the last thing she would want is people driving around the entire city to deliver a few dozen.

But I do believe if they are great, when you call them back in 4-6 months they will buy again, and even double their order. It is for the kids.

I never said it was going to be easy.

But hey, it is just an idea on how to sell cupcakes. I said it was off the top of my head.

 

[theBiz]

yeah considering how good you are in starting up and managing sales teams why don't you write a book on your sales experience and sell it to me? But you can only sell it to me aaand i have the rights to re-sell it aaaand im going to pay ...$50 fair? haha

its good to see how the "think big" mind works. Sometimes we start off too small in our head before we take action and its a huge huge part of must peoples failures or crappy businesses.

If you cant sell it, don't start it, everyday this becomes more obvious to me.

 

[Synergy]

This Could, or may not be a option for you.

My mom's friend owns a resturant. What he let me do is add my desserts to his menu for 3 weeks. He told me what the general feedback was, (postive) and even let me share some of the profit.

If you can get someone to do something like this for you, get some feedback, and what the general response is then you can bring your business to the next level.

 

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